Responds to letters from readers in response to recent "Research" columns. Deals with the issues of learning disabilities, whole language approach, the "skills" perspective, junk food textbooks, and punctuation. (RS)

Elementary school teachers acknowledge the need for better writing instruction, but seldom have time for it within their already crowded curricula. Writing instruction suffers from placing skills development before writing activities, from emphasis on reading, and because many teachers are not well prepared to teach writing. A low priority is…

Discusses nine orthodoxies, including the idea that spelling, grammar, and punctuation are unimportant, that decrease teacher effectiveness. (DF)